


The Ingrate

by therealagent



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fall of Overwatch, Inspired Reaper's voiceline, M/M, you know the one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 07:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18231716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therealagent/pseuds/therealagent
Summary: Overwatch is falling, Jesse McCree has a new arm, and one word changes everything in his life.





	The Ingrate

**Author's Note:**

> Like almost everything I write, this was done from a passing idea, in one hour. So you know, it might be really bad.

The last straw came for Jesse when Gabe called him an ingrate to his face. After years of following the older man, learning from him, and being as loyal as he could most of the time, he was an ingrate. The word made his blood boil, but he kept his mouth clamped shut. Gabe was stomping away, muttering something about letting him rot, and Jesse stood still. He had to leave this sinking ship, and now. 

He packed as quickly as he could, his new cybernetic making the process a little slower than he would have liked, but he wasn’t exactly taking everything. Clothes, some food and water, money, and his gun. That’s all he needed, especially with him planning on heading back to Route 66. What exactly he’d do there, he wasn’t sure. He wouldn’t create another gang, that was for damn sure, but other than that, he’d figure it out along the way. 

A bag thrown over his shoulder, Jesse stopped as the door to his quarters closed behind him, hopefully for the last time. He had to tell someone he was going, he couldn’t just walk out. But who was left to tell? Gabe hadn’t even commented on the loss of his left arm, and he was the one who sent Jesse on the mission it happened on. Genji was gone, Ana was dead, and Angela would just try to talk him into staying longer. It had to be Jack. 

He and the Strike Commander had never exactly been buddy buddy. Jack actually thought Gabe saving his ass all those years ago was a bad call, which Jesse thought was a fair point, looking back. But right now, he had to be the one to hear this, because if he just walked off without a word, Jesse knew he’d kick himself over it for years to come. Luckily, Jack was on the same base at this moment, but was undoubtedly swamped with work, his stress levels peaking out and causing him to lose even more sleep. Gabe used to go into his office at least once a week and make him rest, but those days were long gone. 

The walk to the office was longer than Jesse would have liked. He continually looked over his shoulder to check for Gabe, because the other would ask him exactly why he had a packed bag with him. He would write a note to send before destroying his communicator, but he couldn’t do it face to face. He didn’t want to hear what his boss would call him. At the door he gave three heavy knocks, and waited. A tired, deep voice called for him to come in, and the doors opened in front of him. 

“Commander.” Jesse began, not standing at attention, not giving him the usual respect. He held his left arm with all of the awkwardness of a recent amputee, and gave a deep sigh. “I can’t tell Reyes this, not now, but I had to tell someone.” 

Jack sat at his desk, jaw set firmly as he watched the cowboy stand before him. Jesse never came in here unless with was with Gabriel, and there was a reason. There had to be a very serious reason Jesse came to him alone. “Agent McCree, I’m glad to see they fitted you with a cybernetic quickly. I’m sorry about what happened. Now, what did you need?” 

Jesse wanted to laugh, but he held himself back. Jack immediately addressed his arm, even though he had nothing to do with it, and everything was said and done. Gabe just made a point to not look at it. “I need to tell someone that I’m going.” He answered, standing up a little straighter. “Leaving. Blackwatch is almost defunct, other agents are starting power struggles I don’t care to deal with. And Reyes..” He trailed off. Jack and Gabe never spoke anymore, they screamed. Everything was an argument, and there were a few betting pools on exactly when the two super soldiers would finally start throwing punches, and who would win. “He seems to be fine doing things himself.” 

The look on Jack’s face visibly darkened. It was like he knew what Jesse would say, but didn’t want it to be true. “I expected this.” He sighed, standing up and going over to Jesse. He looked ragged, like the world was sitting directly on his shoulders, but for once his strength was wavering, and he was on the verge of a full collapse. “What did he say?” 

“’Course you’d know he said something.” Jesse did laugh this time, but it came as a quiet, humorless chuckle. He sounded much more broken than anything else. “Apparently I’m nothing but a damn ingrate.” He explained, shaking his head. “Oh, and he should have let me rot. He’s said that before, but it felt like he really meant it this time.” 

Jack didn’t answer for a moment. Jesse could almost see a war inside the head of the Commander, trying to reconcile the past months and year with the man he fell in love with. Finally, he spoke, but it was quiet, barely above a whisper. “I don’t think he’s okay.” 

Jesse was taken aback. First, Jack almost always projected his deep, booming voice, even when he didn’t mean to, and second, no one was okay. “Jack, no offense, but shit is hitting the fan, no one is doing particularly well.” 

“That’s not what I mean. I’ve seen Gabriel angry, Jesse, I’ve seen him raging. But this is different. It’s wrong.” Jack looked almost scared, but just for a split second. He fixed his posture, standing with his shoulders squared once again. “I understand your desire to leave. But I cannot promise your safety once you do.” 

Jesse tried to brush off Jack’s words, but he couldn’t. No one knew Gabriel Reyes better than Jack, right? He would know if something was terribly wrong. That was all to mull over later, Jesse had to look after himself right now. “Wouldn’t expect you to be able to. I can take care of myself. I just.... I needed to tell someone who was left.” He turned to leave, but stopped at the door, and turned around. “Thanks for not sending me back to prison, Commander Morrison.” 

Jesse wasted no time getting off the base after that, avoiding anywhere he thought Gabriel might be. He walked off and jogged a little bit away, to put at least some distance between him and the building. Just before he turned the corner down the road he looked back. He saw jack in his office window, looking out. But that isn’t what caught his eye the most. Two floors down, in one of the med bays, a black smoke obstructed the glass, then as quickly as it appeared, was gone. “This place is crazier from the outside looking in.” He muttered to himself as he turned, and continued on his path to a new life.


End file.
